By Sean Collins
This week our favourite historian Sean Collins continues on his virtual pub crawl in Drogheda with a nostalgic look back at Benny Flanagan’s on the North Quay which for the best part of half a century was the watering hole of choice for politicians, solicitors, journalists, workers and those averse to work. In short, all human life was there.
A picture can trigger a million memories, the image below by Jimmy Weldon of the King of Drogheda Publicans, Benny Flanagan who owned and managed the “Central Bar” on the North Quay certainly brought some back.
Formerly “Weldon and Farrell’s” then McNamara’s, Benny and his wife Mary acquired the premises in 1955. The Flanagan family had been in the pub trade in Drogheda since the 1920s. Benny’s father Tom Flanagan, had a premises on Trinity Street and Kevin, Benny’s brother, had the Railway Bar, [now Barlow’s] and his sister Josie had the Fairgreen Bar.
Benny’s was the first pub in town with a large television and when Drogheda native Tony ‘socks’ Byrne won a bronze medal at the In 1956, Melbourne Olympics the fight was screened live from Melbourne. It was said the pub was so full, some people watched the fight from the Bus Depot on the other side of the river!
A pint in 1956 would have cost you one shilling and fourpence, about 8c in today’s money. The first Drogheda bus of Louth supporters returning from the All-Ireland Final in 1957 stopped in Balbriggan to ring Benny and announce their arrival, Pints lined the counter.
Benny soon established his Bar as a mecca for many in Drogheda, darts, rings, 110, and solo were all played in the back lounge. From the labour intensive industries of the 1960s, workers from Irish Cement, the Mills, the Oil and Cake, Woodingtons Premier Periclase, and many others found common ground in Bennys.
In 1974, I got a Summer job there and a pint cost 24p, about 35c in today’s money. You soon learned that pub work is not for the faint hearted, never mind the work, the slagging you got from the likes of Pat Kinsella or “Bakesir “, John O’Brien would soon waken you up.
Mick “Teck” Holden was the Boss, ably assisted by Olan Martin , Harry Flanagan, his nephew Sean Carolan, to name a few, and the real boss the lovely Peggie Reynolds of Townrath, I think . Brendan helped out while Aileen looked on, Hilda ran around, and Doreen was gracious.
The bar was long and narrow with two semi-circular seating areas inside the main door. In one sat the “Cement” men, Mick and Pat Kinsella, John “Hossey” Kirwan, Danny Floody, Peter ‘the Mayor’ Hughes, Patsy Kirwan, the pen man, where strikes were plotted and planned.
At the top of the bar sat John O’Brien, just back from another long-haul journey for Faulkner’s. “Nothing mean or decent about us O’Brien’s” he’d say, essentially one of the most decent men you could meet.
Bunny Fitzpatrick and Georgie Gibney held the other ringside seats. From time to time another Kinsella “Derek” the youngest would drop in to make wisecracks.
Beyond this area on week nights you would find the political hacks, Donnacha McRaghnaill, Des O’Hagan and Dick McDermott planning a red takeover. Michael Bell would be there with his two consiglieres, Paul Murphy and the taciturn Noel Kinsella. Former Mayors Con O’Brien, Peter Moore and Fergus O’Dowd could often be seen chatting with Brendan Whittaker the most famous man in Drogheda to wear the Mayoral chains.
Typically you’d have Pat Collins and Joe Gibney at the bar sorting out union affairs with Larry Grogan and Ronan Caffrey selling An Phoblacht on a Saturday night, and Mayor Paddy Buckley shooting pool upstairs with a young Joe Munster and Jim Maguire. The European Parliament wouldn’t have a look in.
On Summertime Friday evenings, you could bump into Declan Winston of “Winstons”, Arthur Ryan of “Penneys” with Sean Murphy or the Cosgraves of political fame, Baltray and Clogherhead were the Summer meccas then.
Larry Fay’s crew from next door, Caroline ordered chips from the Genoa, please Daddy…Saturday afternoons Benny’s was the home of horse racing, Diddley Woods had the hot tips, the Morgans of Morco, Joey Leech, T.P.Quinn, and the wiliest of all a Kerry man called Eamon O’Mahony whose pharmacy business was close by.
John “Wayne” Kennedy, another horse fancier, albeit horse operas, argued with Joe Campbell as to who got off the train in “High Noon”, but the issue was never resolved, no Sky TV then. Matt O’Rourke preferred Solo to 110, if you dozed off during the game, the shouting would soon wake you up, isn’t that right Minister, said a young Denis Lynch to Ducksie. Willie Murray of Mary St., observed all..
Everybody seemed to get their Summer holidays on the first two weeks in August. Monday afternoons the bar would have a lively sing song, Joe Reilly famously sang “the street where you live”, coached by Michael Murphy. Marx Carr the genial garage owner would greet Edger Gray having returned from some exotic far distant shore.
Benny’s great friend Petes McDonnell kept his counsel at the bar, with Mickey Caffrey and John Downey close by. Johnny Breen strumming his guitar and Richie Skelly looking cool. Benny and his barber Paddy Kierans [junior] exchanged the latest naps, while Picksir got the cure.
Weekend nights attracted some trendy types, the triumvirate that was Johnny Feran, John Bohan, and Patsy O’Shea, would request “two Harveys Bristol Creams and a pint for Patsy and one for yourself”. Young fellas called Gerry Tuite and Gerry Byrne, Ray Hoey and the MAC hung around in the bar with a young photographer called Andy Spearman, a runner-in.
Paul Murray headed for the 5 o’clock bus, and Frank Joely and black Mary from Dunleer fell in love. Old fellas like Patsy Byrne and Wack, [Sock’s brothers] joined the mix, bottles of Guinness and half-ones of John Power were the order of the day.
Peter Mohan liked a bottle of Guinness and a “flaming diddy”, figure that one out I dare you. Mal Callan and Dave Doherty still drinking pints. Seamie Briscoe and Jim Walker planning rugby tactics in the opposition’s headquarters, now all united of course. You had to be nice to them, if you wanted to get in to Bibas.
On Sunday nights, Danny brought the beautiful Anna, Tom and Mrs. Tiernan, Greta came with Patsy, Marian with Bakesir, Betty Bell would give a song, and Cassie would accompany Noel, certainly the wives night out, no pub bingo then.
Benny manned the side door as the front one would be locked, regulars only on Sunday 7-10, and maybe a late one, “c’mon it’s not hot soup you’re drinking” said Benny, first bar doorman, the landlord, in Drogheda I can remember.
These are rambling memories of what I always thought was the best pub in town, when I think back, I wondered where they all fit. Benny sold up in 1989, and passed away at the start of the millennium in 2000.
Danny Floody and Peter Hughes are still going strong I am glad to say, the pub was purchased by a lovely lady called Olive Murphy, an old friend, it is now known as the “Mariner” managed by Jody and his team.
